Giving Up Hope
by MariaBernal
Summary: She would have gave up a long time ago. But he keeps her going. She's tired of being looked over and all she wants is someone to care for her. She wants him to love her. Smitchie.
1. Chapter 1

She's alone, she's not happy. Nothing in the world tell her differently, and she's sure how long she can take it anymore. She doesn't know where she's from nor where she's going. Just a simple high school girl not sure what to do with herself anymore.

Long ago, she pushed everything away. Considering herself on her own. Deciding that she's lost.

She feels the the soft vibrations in her pocket and takes out her discreetly and softly presses the button of the antique model she calls her phone.

_Don't worry Mitch. We'll get out soon ;) - Shane_

It reads, bringing a small smile to her lips. She looks up from her textbook and he catches her eye. His small smile and bright eyes catching her attention. He's looking at her and she loves his attention, more than anything. She wipes the sad look off her face and sends him back a smile. Appearing to be happy.

It reminds her of why she's still here and why she fakes everyday. Because of him. He lights up her world. His bright smile and personality taking away the darkness. She does it for him. If it wasn't for him, she's positive that she would have offed herself by now.

No one knows about her though. Not a thing, she's sure. Not even he knows. She's sad, she calls it. Everyone knows what she really is. Depressed. How she loathes that word. Thinking that she's been called that too many times for her liking. She's considered the idea of being "depressed" before, scoffing at her thoughts.

If she really was. He would have noticed. But his sunny disposition blocks out all the bad. He's happy. He's got a good life. Everyone loves him, no one loves her.

_Can't wait. - Mitchie_

She sends back, watching his as he checks the message then looks back at her, the smile on his face growing bigger. She can't help but return one. That's what he does to her, even with the smallest things. She watches him type another message under his table and smile at her when he's done, feeling the vibrations again.

Her heart flies as she opens it, she loves getting messages from him, no matter how small they are.

_Work tonight? I gotta talk to you..it's important. - Shane_

She bites her lip, trying to think of what it could possibly when it hits her she works at the slimy, run down place everyone calls a diner. She internally groans. This could be the day, she thinks to herself but shakes it. She's being silly. He's got _her_, and as if on cue she comes into view. Sitting right on his lap and pulling his lips to hers. He hesitates for a second but gives in.

Shane always gives into her. And she knows why she does it.

He pushes away the pretty blond girl, not too far or hard. He doesn't want to offend her. "Tess, we're in study hall," she hears him.

Those words make her smile, he's a gentleman and hates public displays of affection. She loves that about him, Mitchie loves everything about him.

Tess leans down and whispers something in Shane's ear that makes him press his lips together in a tight line. She's so nosy and wants to know what Tess told him. Quickly, you turn away when Tess' pulls back and sees her watching them closely. She leaves Shane's side and is heading over to her table.

Mitchie fears confrontation.

Luckily, Tess only manages to hit her shoulder with her heavy bag. To Mitchie, that's a blessing. She's used to so much more from Tess. From getting lunches dumped on her to being locked in a bathroom stall. Even when Mitchie does something small like talking back to Tess, remembering that earned her burnt end of her hair in Chemistry. She found it out, a relief but odd. Tess was always more cruel, especially when it came to anything including Shane.

Mitchie look up and sees Shane typing out another message, presuming its an apology to Tess. That's what he does. He blames himself for when other people are upset. And Mitchie loves him for that.

Her phone buzzes alive again and she quickly opens the message.

_Yes or no? It's really important..something I only trust with you. - Shane_

She bites her lip, trying to think what it could possibly be. Quickly she replies:

_Sure, I get off eight. Come by then? - Mitchie_

She watches as he opens the message she sent just seconds ago and he looks up, giving her a nod and a smile that makes her heart flutter ever so slightly. The only thing that breaks her out of her daze was the ringing bell that signaled the end of school and soon the start of a dreadful shift at the diner.

--

She hopped of the bus and quickly ran into the diner, careful not to run into people. The bus had show up late and she had only about ten minutes to get into her uniform and clock in before being late again for the third time this week. One more time and she she'd be out of a job and she needed the little cash she got from it. She needed to it to it to leave this place with Shane. It's a childish thought but it gets her by everyday.

Quickly, she runs into the bathroom and gets into a stall, shedding her sweater and tank top and pulling out her red t-shirt reading Pepper's on it from her bag and slipping it on, then her long black apron. She slips it over her head and tying it before exiting the stall.

She makes sure to wash her hands well, knowing that it didn't matter though. This place was crawling with germs and she hated it, but she made do. Luckily, her hair was already up in a ponytail, saving her time. Mitchie grabbed her bag and left the bathroom, going behind the counter and to the back of the diner and hung up her sweater and bag, making her way back and was greeted by Lucy. The middle aged woman who was practically a mother to her. The closest she ever had to one.

"How are you sweetie, and your parents?" Lucy asks as hand a man his order.

"They're not my parents Luce, they're the Johnson's," Mitchie replies as she grabs a notepad and pen to start taking some order.

Lucy sighs and goes off to help other customers. Mitchie knows that. She never considered the Johnson's as her parents. Simply as Ann and Mike, her foster parents. Never really took much of a liking to them. Ann is always off at some random bar and Mike is always working. They couldn't have any kids of their own, so they have her. She wasn't exactly what they were expecting. "The depressed teenager upstairs" is what they referred to her as.

They never really paid much attention to her, and Mitchie liked it that way.

--

As the clock nears eight o' clock, Mitchie's heart begins to beat faster. Awaiting Shane and his news. Her mind wanders as to what it could possibly be. The only thing that she can think of that makes her happy in that he's breaking it off with Tess. The worst being that he's leaving and this is his goodbye. Her heart feels pained just at the thought of it.

She stands behind the counter, partly because she doesn't want to sit alone. So she waits there till she hears the familiar bells meaning someone had entered and a smile appears on face. She grabs her book bag and sweater and makes her way to the table that Shane has waved her over to, taking a seat across from him.

"Hey," she smile brightly.

Shane gives her a small smile and looks back down at the table, he's nervous and unsure. She can tell.

"What was it that you wanted to tell me?" Mitchie asks, trying to get at least something out of him.

He presses his lips together and taps the table, appearing to try and think out his words before he says them.

"Is something wrong?" she asks hesitantly.

Shane shakes his head and looks up at her, able to tell that he's been crying, it immediately alarms her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Tess is pregnant.."


	2. Chapter 2

Her breath gets stuck in the back of her throat and her eyes widen just slightly. She feels her heart break just a little bit more and then it hits her. He's worse off then she is right now.

"H-how did this happen?" she asks.

Shane laughs bitterly and shakes his head in disbelief, making her shy away a bit. She should have known better then to ask that. It's obvious Mitchie, she tells herself.

"I can't believe this happened," he mutters, groaning softly.

"It's going to be okay," she says, trying her best to try to comfort him. That's all she could think of to do.

Help him until it went away, like she always did. Except this wasn't going to go away. Not for another nine months at least.

"Is she going to keep it?" Mitchie asks only getting a slight shrug from Shane who was still looking down at the table.

She pressed her lips together, with no idea of what to say next. This was horrible, he was going to be a father. And she had always thought that somehow, someday they would end up together. Fantasies.

Suddenly, he takes her hand and pulls her out of the booth and towards the exit of the diner, "Let's go for a ride," he says.

This only makes Mitchie frown again, the car rides that they used to to take all the time when Shane had first gotten his license. But she could tell there wasn't going to be any singing along to the radio or laughing on this ride. Possibly far from it.

Mitchie gets into the passenger of the car and stares out of the window, she doesn't have to be home for another two hours so she doesn't mind, she just minds about the upcoming conversation that they're bound to have.

Shane gets into the car, not bothering to but on his seatbelt, he never does anyways. Shane's always been a careful driver anyhow.

He turns on the car and Mitchie gasps as the cold air coming from the vent hits her, out of reaction he turns off the air conditioner and quickly pulls out of the parking lot.

The two ride in silence for miles. Mitchie only sneak glances at the raven haired boy, too afraid to say anything. He's too focused on the road ahead of them, gripping the steering wheel. She hesitantly turns on the radio, the rock music filling the car for only seconds until Shane turns it off without missing a beat.

"Sorry.." she mumbles. He doesn't reply.

Soon enough they were driving down the familiar country road. The one where they always drove down, they'd drive all the way down to the fork in the road and go into the backseat. Always playing cards, writing songs or just talking about whether they would go left or right. Metaphorically speaking.

New York or California.

"I'm going to be a famous musician one day, selling out Madison Square Garden. You just wait and see," he'd say. Only to her though, she was the only one who knew about his dreams. He had always felt to silly to tell them to everyone.

Shane drove to the end of the road and turned off the car, staring out of the windshield. The single minute felt like days to Mitchie as she heard his deep breathing while she tried to keep hers quiet. Shane looked over at her and motioned for her to go into the backseat before opening his door and getting out. Mitchie did the same and got in the backseat of the car. She was nervous.

They did this for fun.

She and Shane settled in the backseat, still no words exchanged between the two. Then it came. The sob escaped Shane's lips. Mitchie pulled him towards her in a hug without missing a beat. It was if they had driven all the way here just for this.

To keep it secret from everyone else.

Shane clung to her as if he needed her to breathe, something Michie had always hoped for. Just not for this reason. For anything, just not this.

She attempted to shush him but found no use in it. Simply just let him cry into her shoulder, soon enough noticing that she was crying as well. She couldn't help it, seeing him like this broke her heart.

"So close to getting out of here. S-so close," he muttered.

Mitchie bit her lip, only hugging him tighter. She didn't know what to say.

--

Both lay on the cool grass in the ditch, staring up at the dark sky. The two simply wanted to forget their scene in the car. It was as if it never happened. As much as they wanted it to be the truth.

"I'm sorry for that.." Shane whispered, tearing his eyes away from the sky for one second to look at her.

Mitchie shook her head, "Don't be." she said curtly. She didn't want him to apologize for something he had no control over.

Shane nodded slowly and sighed. "I'm sorry for dragging you out here. At least let me apologize for that,"

Mitchie pressed her lips together, she was past curfew. But she had a reason. Of course, only she would understand. "Don't worry about it," she said. "How far along is she?"

"I'm not sure..it's pretty recent though," he answered reluctantly

She made a small 'o' with her mouth. Not willing to continue on this topic. She didn't want to hear his answers and she simply didn't want to know. Knowing less was better for her.

Shane picked up Mitchie's arm and took a look at her watch and his eyes widened. He got up and pulled him up with her, "Ann is going to kill you if you don't get home,"

"Shane, it doesn't matter. It's going to take half an hour to get back. I'm already an hour late..I'm the walking dead," Mitchie said, a sheepish smile on her face.

Shane shook his head, ducking into the car. "Come on Mitch,"

She sighed and got into the car, not wanting to go back to the place she was forced to call home. All she could hope for was that he would drive slow.

--

Mitchie's heart began to beat painfully hard against her chest as Shane's car pulled into the drive way. Unknowing to her, Shane had been watching her.

"I could go in with you.." he suggested.

Mitchie shook her head, "Maybe she's not even home, she won't even know I was gone. Or I'll just tell her I had to stay late at the diner. I'll be fine. I promise," she assured him.

Shane wrapped an arm around her, trying his best to give her a hug. But it felt awkward..they never felt this way.

"Call me later, please..I just need to know that you're okay," he said, mumbling the last part.

Mitchie shook her head and pulled away, trying her best to give him a smile.

"I'll be just fine,"

* * *

_Review?_


End file.
